I will answer on the training/risk side of things. Operationally and financially, I will let someone else speak to it.

I will start my response with my usual comment, remember Netjets has total control over new hire assignments. Yes they have you fill out a wish list during indoc, but it is not a seniority based bid. I keep hearing from new hires complaints that they didn't get what they "bid" for or feel slighted that someone else got something that they thought they should. Be prepared to accept any fleet if you come to Netjets.

That being said, yes the 650 has gone to new hires and will likely again. We may even see the Global go to new hires soon. As a new hire (this applies to all fleets), you only have 2 failures until the company has the contractual right to drop you from training. This is not just FAA checkride failures, but also includes failure to be recommended for checkride. So if you do not get recommended for your checkride (failure 1) and then slip up on your checkride (failure 2), Netjets can let you go. There have been multiple instances recently of this happening for pilots who bid to the large cabins. Once you have completed your first year and are off probation, you are afforded additional protections that make it less risky to switch fleets.

I do not know if we are seeing a higher failure rate for low time pilots going into the 650. Anecdotally, it does seem like there are more issues for FOs going into those fleets. I am not in that fleet but have friends who are, and they have all said the training is not designed for lower time/first jet pilots. Does that mean that all low time/first jet pilots will struggle or fail? Of course not. Airlines have been putting those types of pilots into CRJs for years, but their training programs are specifically built for it. So if I were a new hire who fit into the low time/first jet category, I would definitely view being assigned to a large cabin as higher risk than any of the small cabin fleets.